The Cathedral Church of Canterbury

The Cathedral Church of Canterbury [2nd?by Hartley Withers

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Title: The Cathedral Church of Canterbury [2nd ed.].
Author: Hartley Withers
Release Date: October 2, 2007 [EBook #22832]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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[Illustration: CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL FROM THE SOUTH.]

THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF CANTERBURY
A DESCRIPTION OF ITS FABRIC AND A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE ARCHIEPISCOPAL SEE
BY HARTLEY WITHERS, B.A.
[Illustration: Arms of Canterbury.]
LONDON GEORGE BELL & SONS 1897
First Edition December, 1896. Second Edition, Revised, with many Additional Illustrations, May, 1897.
* * * * *

GENERAL PREFACE.
This series of monographs has been planned to supply visitors to the great English Cathedrals with accurate and well illustrated guide books at a popular price. The aim of each writer has been to produce a work compiled with sufficient knowledge and scholarship to be of value to the student of arch?ology and history, and yet not too technical in language for the use of an ordinary visitor or tourist.
To specify all the authorities which have been made use of in each case would be difficult and tedious in this place. But amongst the general sources of information which have been almost invariably found useful are:--firstly, the great county histories, the value of which, especially in questions of genealogy and local records, is generally recognized; secondly, the numerous papers by experts which appear from time to time in the transactions of the antiquarian and arch?ological societies; thirdly, the important documents made accessible in the series issued by the Master of the Rolls; fourthly, the well-known works of Britton and Willis on the English Cathedrals; and, lastly, the very excellent series of Handbooks to the Cathedrals, originated by the late Mr. John Murray, to which the reader may in most cases be referred for fuller detail, especially in reference to the histories of the respective sees.
GLEESON WHITE. E.F. STRANGE. Editors of the Series.
* * * * *

PREFACE.
Among authorities consulted in the preparation of this volume, the author desires to name specially Prof. Willis's "Architectural History of Canterbury Cathedral" (1845), Dean Stanley's "Historical Memorials of Canterbury" (Murray, 1855, and fifth edition, 1868), "Canterbury," by the Rev. R.C. Jenkins (1880), and the excellent section devoted to Canterbury in Murray's "Handbooks to the English Cathedrals, Southern Division," wherein Mr. Richard John King brought together so much valuable matter, to which reference has been made too often to be acknowledged in each instance. For permission to use this the publishers have to thank Mr. John Murray.
For the reproduction of the drawings of the various parts of the Cathedral, and the arms on the title page, by Mr. Walter Tallent Owen, the editors are greatly indebted to the artist, from whose volume, "Bits of Canterbury Cathedral," published by W.T. Comstock, New York, 1891, they have been taken. Others are taken from Charles Wild's "Specimens of Medi?val Architecture," and from Carter's "Ancient Sculpture and Paintings."
The illustrations from photographs in this volume have been reproduced from the originals by Messrs. Carl Norman and Co.
H.W.
* * * * *

CONTENTS.
PAGE
CHAPTER I.
--History of the Building 3
CHAPTER II.
--Exterior and Precincts: The Angel or Bell Tower 24 The Monastery 32 Christchurch Gate 35 Ruins of the Infirmary 38 The Treasury 38 The Lavatory Tower 40 The Chapter House 42 The Library 44 The Deanery 44 The Green Court 48
CHAPTER III.
--Interior: The Nave 52 The Central Tower 55 The Western Screen 56 The Choir 57 The Altar 61 The Choir 64 The Choir Stalls 65 South-East Transept 67 South-West Choir Aisle 69 St. Anselm's Tower and Chapel 69 The Watching Chamber 72 Trinity Chapel 72 Tomb of the Black Prince 75 Becket's Crown 88 St. Andrew's Tower 90 North-East Transept 90 Chapel of the Martyrdom 92 The Dean's Chapel 94 South-West Transept 95 St. Michael's Chapel 95 The Main Crypt 96 The Eastern Crypt 101
CHAPTER IV.
--The History of the See 103

ILLUSTRATIONS.
PAGE The Cathedral from the South Frontispiece Arms of Canterbury Title The Cathedral from the North 1 Plan of Canterbury Cathedral (Circa 1165) 4 The Cloisters 19 View on the Stour 22 The Central Tower, "Bell Harry" 25 Detail of St. Anselm's Tower 32 The Christchurch Gate 33 The South-West Porch of the Cathedral 36 Cloisters of the Monks' Infirmary 37 Ruins of the Monks' Infirmary 38 The Baptistery Tower 39 Turret of South-West Transept 41 The Cloisters 43 Norman Staircase in the Close 45 Details of the Norman Staircase in the Close 46 Details of Ornament 47